INDIA

DISTRIBUTION REFORM, UPGRADES & MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

(DRUM)

Proposal for
Soil Investigation
At two locations in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Debate
January, 2010

Table of Contents

1. Objective of the Assignment

2. Statement of Qualification
3. Scope of Work
4. Selection Process
5. Evaluation Criteria
6. Formats for Proposal Submission

January 2010
The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for
International Development or the United States Government
 Proposal for
Soil Investigation
At two locations in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

January 2010

PA Government Services Inc.

Prepared by: PA Government Services Inc. DLF Cyber City
Building No. 9B, 11th Floor
Gurgaon - 122002, India
Tel: +91 124 4737400
Fax: +91 124 4737444
www.paconsulting.com
Version: 1

DISCLAIMER

This Request for Proposal is made possible by the support of the American People
through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The
contents of this Request do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United
States Government. It was prepared by PA Consulting Group.

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1. BACKGROUND
The Distribution Reform, Upgrades and Management (DRUM) Project is an ambitious joint
undertaking sponsored by India’s Ministry of Power (MOP) and the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) focused on “the last mile” of the electricity network. The
three dimensions to the DRUM goal are to:

1. Create Centers of Excellence in distribution

2. Test new concepts (technology, business process, etc.)
3. Identify possible “breakthroughs” that will help to accelerate the pace of reform

Under this program, DRUM team led by PA Government Services, is working with
three reforming distribution utilities, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.
(MSEDCL), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) and Madhya Gujarat Vij
Company Ltd (MGVCL) to create a replicable, sustainable, upgradeable and model for
creating a center of excellence. At the same time, three pilot locations, Aurangabad Division-I
in MSEDCL, Umreth Subdivision in MGVCL and Dodaballapur Subdivision in Bescom have
been selected to implement the model of excellence to develop a learning curve for each of
these utilities.

The DRUM team envisages that availability, reliability and cost of power supply coupled with
good customer relations are the key ingredients of customer satisfaction. The resultant
definition of success under the DRUM paradigm is embodied the following formula:

ARC + GCR = CS

Σ (Availability + Reliability + Cost) + Good Customer Relations = Customer

Satisfaction

The Indian power sector is characterized by inadequate and insufficient power supply. About
1.25% of the GDP was draining in the technical and commercial losses of the power
distribution system. The situation is more acute during the peak load conditions. There are
other chronicle problems also associated with the dilapidated network and other inefficiencies
which are imbibed in the system. DRUM program focus is to create a learning curve for the
entire nation so that it can be replicated to have sustained benefit.

DRUM program is also working intensively for ‘Market Development of Renewable Energy’.
Renewable energy supplies 18 percent of the world’s final energy consumption, counting
traditional biomass, large hydropower and new renewable technologies (wind, small hydro,
solar geothermal, biomass and bio fuels). Out of this, energy supplied through new renewable
technologies alone represents 2.4 percent in developed countries and in some developing
countries. Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct sectors: power
generation, hot water and space heating, transport fuels and rural (off-grid) energy. The
multi-sectoral use of renewable energy makes it imperative from the point of view of long
term energy supply security, decentralization of energy supply particularly for the benefit of
the rural population, environmental benefits and sustainability.

Like in other developing countries, there is a wide gap between demand and supply of energy
in India. In several developing countries such as India, there are large sections of the
population living in areas without access to electricity. There is also considerable
environmental and resource degradation because of a higher dependence on fossil fuels. This
dependence on fossil fuels, which are imported, exacerbates India’s foreign exchange debt
burden. These factors, along with India’s large endowment of renewable resources, suggest

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that the development of RE (renewable energy) will be an important contributor in meeting
the challenge of providing clean power in India.

The Electricity Act 2003 provides for the Independent Power Producers (IPP) to set up
renewable power plants for captive use, third party sale, power trading and distribution.

In pursuance of this Act, India has been pursuing a three-fold strategy for promotion of
renewable energy:
• Providing budgetary support for research, development and demonstration of
technologies,
• Facilitating institutional finance through various financial institutions, and
• Promoting private investment through fiscal incentives, tax holidays (lower customs
duty, sales tax, and excise tax exemption), depreciation allowance and remunerative
returns for power fed into grid.

However, there is a need to optimize utilization of India's vast potential for energy generation
from renewable and to alleviate the severe energy crunch faced by the country. The renewable
energy needs to be integrated into the national energy planning thereby enabling the creation
of a balanced energy-mix. This in turn calls for taking renewable energy technologies beyond
the stage of research and development, for demonstrating the commercialization of renewable
energy technologies.

As part of its effort, DRUM has associated itself for preparation of detailed project report for
two numbers of Solar PV power plant having 5 MW and 1 MW capacity each at two locations
in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The more details about site specifics are available in the
Annexure – 1.
This document is a call for proposals by PA government Services from reputed organizations
to undertake the work as laid down in the Statement of Work (Section 2).

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2. STATEMENT OF WORK AND SPECIFICATIONS
SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work will cover under-soil investigation including field deployment, field investigation,
laboratory testing and submission of soil investigation reports. In general the report will include: (a)
detailed log of observations made during the field investigation, (b) results of laboratory tests
including analysis of all results, basis, calculations and other related information along with charts,
curves and drawings and (c) recommendations on appropriate foundations.

Soil investigation at the project sites will be conducted through standard boring methods, standard
penetration tests, collection of disturbed and undisturbed soil samples, collection of water samples and
laboratory tests. Location of all boreholes will be established from two reference grids and one
benchmark and clearly shown in layout plan map. The contractor will arrange the supply of water and
electric power to carry out field investigations. The work shall be carried out in conformity to relevant
Indian or ASTM Standards and for each activity, the contractor will indicate the standard used.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION1

For each borehole, the depth of termination will be approved by the site supervising engineer
and noted in the field bore-log. Soil exploration depth will meet the following requirements:

1. Depth of bore for 15 meter or to a layer having consecutive SPT value of 100 or more for a
continuous depth of 5.0 m whichever is met earlier.

2. If rock is encountered, depth of bore will be at least 3 meter inside the rock layer having
total core recovery greater than 50%.

A. Boring in Overburden Soil

Conducting Standard Penetration Test (SPT) at 1.5 m interval. Both field and
corrected N values will be reported.

Collection of disturbed and undisturbed soil samples and water samples for laboratory testing.

Laboratory tests on disturbed/undisturbed soil samples:
i. Natural Moisture Content (NMC)
ii. Sieve and hydrometer analyses
iii. Atterberg limits & soil classification
iv. Specific gravity
v. Bulk density and dry density
vi. Consolidation analysis
vii. Unconfined compressive strength
viii. Tri-axial test
ix. Chemical analysis of soil and water samples for pH, sulphate, chloride and other organic
content.
x. Soil resistivity test.

B. Boring in Rock

Geological System

Depth of rock strata and its variation over site

Isolated boulder or massive rock formation

Extent and characters of weathered zone

The structures of rock including bedding planes, faults, fissures, cavities etc.

Properties of rock material like strength, geological formation etc.

Quality and quantity of returning drill water.

Rock Quality Designator (RQD) value.

1
The specification have been developed using several sources including www.iimshillong.in/news/pdf/ TENDER
_ DOCUMENTS_for_Soil_Investigation.pdf

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Rock samples are visually identified and tested in laboratory to yield the following
information:

Visual identification:
- Texture
- Structure
- Composition
- Colour
- Grain Size
- Petrography

Laboratory tests:
- Specific gravity
- Porosity
- Water absorption
- Compressive strength

Boring in Overburden Soil

For boring overburden soils, the boreholes will have a minimum diameter of 150 mm and be
suitably lined throughout. To avoid suction, use augers of proper size for soft to firm clays.
No water will be added while boring through cohesive soils and cohesion-less soils above the
water table. Take adequate precautions to avoid caving and/or heaving of the bores. While
boring through cohesion-less soil below water table, water level in the casing shall always be
maintained at or above the water table. IS 6935 method will be used to determine water level
in a borehole.

Disturbed Samples

In general the disturbed samples will be taken from borehole cuttings, split spoon sampler and
cutting edge of undisturbed sampler for classification tests at the site. The samples shall be
taken at 1.5 meter interval or at every identifiable change of strata, whichever is met earlier. If
required, the disturbed samples should be sent to the laboratory for testing in air-tight
containers.

Undisturbed Samples

Undisturbed samples in cohesive soils shall be taken from the boreholes at 1.5 meter intervals
alternate with SPT or at every identifiable change of strata whichever is met earlier. Sampling
procedures and samplers for recovering undisturbed samples will normally conform to IS
2132 specifications. Undisturbed samples are collected without hammering the sampler.

Drilling in bed rock

Drilling into fresh/weathered rock strata will be carried out using double tube core barrel of
Nx size and diamond bits with water or bentonite slurry as drilling fluid run by a hydraulic
feed machine. Minimum diameter of cores shall be 54 mm unless otherwise required. Each
drill run will not exceed 1.5 meter in length and the core barrel shall be removed from the
boreholes as often required to obtain the best possible core recovery. When any recovery is

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less than 80% from a drill run, the next drill run shall be reduced to 50% of the previous
length.

The time required to drill through a certain depth, amount of core recovery, Rock Quality
Designator (RQD), physical condition, length of pieces of core, joints, colour of water
residue, loss of water during drilling, hydraulic pressure, weathering and evidence of
disturbance etc. would be observed and noted in the drilling log. For guidance IS:5313 shall
be referred to. Use appropriate standards for presenting data and storing core samples.

LABORATORY TESTS

Laboratory tests, using the standard practice, would be carried as per relevant
Indian/International Standard Codes. The contractor will provide the name of laboratories, for
approval, where the tests will be carried out. The contractor shall also provide a time schedule
for laboratory tests.

Index Property Tests

Laboratory tests shall be carried out as per the relevant parts of IS:2720 to report the
following properties:

Natural Moisture Content

Sieve and Hydrometer analyses
Atterberg Limits & soil classification
Specific gravity
Bulk & Dry Density

Unconfined Compression Test

Unconfined compression test will be carried out as per IS: 2720. Each unconfined
compression test will comprise tests on a minimum of three soil specimens not less than 38
mm diameter and a height to diameter ratio of 2, together with the determination of natural
moisture content and bulk densities. The water content of the specimen will be taken from the
failure zone of the specimen. A bill of quantities for each unconfined compression test would
be required.

Tri-axial Test

Tri-axial test shall be conducted on the undisturbed samples as per the relevant sections of
IS:2720 specifications. The report on this test would include the stress-strain diagrams as well
as the Mohr circle envelopes.

Consolidation Test

Consolidation test will be conducted on undisturbed samples as per IS:2720. Contarctor will
indicate in the proposal the loading and unloading stages applied on the test specimens. The
co-efficient of consolidation, the coefficient of volume decrease and the coefficient of
compressibility will be determined and reported.

Chemical Analysis

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Chemical analysis of soil and water samples will include pH value, sulphate, chloride and
other organic content in ppm and percentage.

Determination of Soil Absorption capacity

Percolation Test:

Percolation test will be used to determine the permeability of the soil as per the following
indicative procedure:

Soli Resistivity Test

The electrical resistivity test should be carried out according to the guidelines of IS:3043-
1987 and IS:1892-1979 or per the ASTM G57 - 06 procedures (standard test method for field
measurement of soil resistivity using the Wenner Four-Electrode method.

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3. METHODOLOGY

Though the methodology to conduct various tests are explained above but still if the bidder
proposes to use any further technologically advance equipments and methodology, then
bidder is required to include a detailed methodology in their proposal for which scoring shall
be done as per criteria mentioned in of this RFP document. If no value enrichment is
envisaged then all the bidders shall be provided the equal maximum marks.

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4. DELIVERABLES

REPORTS

On completion of each borehole the contractor will provide the preliminary bore-logs
showing:

a. Locations of the boreholes on a plan.

b. Preliminary description of each stratum.
c. Thickness of each stratum with the boundaries.
d. Position, type and identification of each samples and in-situ test.
e. Any in-situ test results available.
f. Standing water level for each borehole.

Draft and Final Report

Three copies of the draft report will be provided. The report will include detailed bore-logs,
subsoil section, field test results laboratory observations and test results both in tabular as well
as graphical form, supporting calculations, interpretation of test results, and conclusions. The
final report will incorporate any suggested modifications and the final report with
amendments will be delivered in four copies along with a CD of electronic copy of the
complete report.

The detailed report will include:

a. Plan showing the position of all boreholes

b. Description of regional geology of the site.

c. Description of the procedures and standards of investigation and testing as well as a

list of equipments used.

d. Detailed borelogs, subsoil sections, laboratory and field test results both in tabular as
well as in graphical form, showing variations of each of the soil properties with depths
in each borehole.

e. Cross section of all individual bore holes with reduced levels and coordinates showing
the classification and thickness of individual stratum, position of ground water table,
various in-situ tests conducted and samples collected at different depths and the rock
stratum.

f. Field and laboratory test results along with graphs and tables used for computation.

g. Plot of SPT value (both field and corrected) with depth.

h. Stress-strain diagrams as well as Mohr circle envelopes for unconfined compression

tests, triaxial tests and shear strength of rock sample.

i. Modulus of elasticity for rock samples.

j. ‘e’ vs log(p), compression vs. log(t) or compression vs. `square root t plots depending
upon the shape of the plot to determine the coefficient of consolidation Cv and time
for 50% and 90% primary consolidation.

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k. Coefficient of volume decrease (mv) and coefficients of permeability. Pre-
consolidation pressure for each test to recommended the anticipated settlement along
with the time.

l. Recommendation for the allowable bearing capacity of soil along with the depth of
foundations (for shallow foundations).

m. All capacity and settlement calculations provided in the appendix of the report.

n. Recommendation on the type of cement to be used and any treatment to the concrete
based on the chemical composition of soil and sub-soil water.

o. Any other information of special significance encountered during the investigation and
likely to have a bearing on the design and construction of foundations.

p. Photographs of field and laboratory activities and all the core boxes shall be included
in each copy of the report.

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5. TIMELINES

The important timelines are as follows:

S. No. Output Timeline from the

start of the
assignment
1 Award of Contract To

2 Bore Log report (In stages), last date is mentioned. T1 = To + 21 days

3 Draft Report T2 = T1 + 10 days

4 Final report T2 +15 days

The sub-contractor will be awarded a fixed price contract. However the prices are required to
be quoted separately for both locations.

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6. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION:

Each applicant shall submit a proposal incorporating technical particulars and a price
quotation. The technical particular should consist of Credentials, Team Structure etc. as
outlined below:

A. Credentials:

Prior experience will be evaluated according to the following criteria and the firm needs to
submit the supporting documents for all the credentials:
i) Years of Experience in similar field
ii) Organizational structure and constitution
iii) Methodology and work programme for the proposed assignments;
iv) Qualification of key team members to be deployed in the work (full time & part time
separately).
v) Details of partner firms (if any) along the above (i) – (iv).

B. Approach:

The proposal must include a section on applicant’s approach and methodology to reflect its
knowledge of the assignment as mentioned in methodology section.

C. Team Structure: The applicant shall form a team led by a senior professional with
significant experience in similar area. The bidder is required to submit short CVs of the
proposed personnel proposed to be deployed for the study.

D. Price Quotation:

The applicant will have to quote the lump sum price for the entire assignment

1. Fixed fee for this assignment

Therefore, the format for submission of price quotation shall be as follows:

Sl No Particulars AMOUNT Total Cost

1 Fixed Fee for this assignment to TO BE QUOTED
complete all the stated task,
analysis and report submission for
Location at Port Blair
2 Fixed Fee for this assignment to TO BE QUOTED
complete all the stated task,
analysis and report submission for
location at Rangat
Total

The quoted price should include all the expenses to be incurred for completion of all the
stated tasks and taxes, duties and other statutory charges, if any.

The quotation shall remain valid till February 25, 2010.

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The price should include all cost relating to the assignment and all applicable taxes.

E. Proposal Content:

The proposal shall be submitted in two separate parts, one for technical particulars
incorporating credentials, project approach etc. and other for financial bid.

F. Proposal Submission Date:

The “Technical Bid” and financial bid should be submitted in two separate envelopes with
respective marking in bold letters. No financial information shall be provided in the
“Technical Bid”.

Both the sealed envelopes should reach the following office at the following address on or
before 1700 hrs Indian Standard Time on February 20, 2010.

Praveen Goyal
Deputy Chief of Party
PA Consulting Group
Mobile: +91 9818067160
Praveen.goyal@paconsulting.com

G. Opening of Proposal:

The proposals shall be opened at a prescheduled date and time at the office of the Chief of
Party of the DRUM Project. The decision of the Chief of Party, DRUM will be final in this
regard. The Chief of Party can reject any of the bids without assigning any reason thereof.

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7. EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The evaluation of bids will be graded according to the following categories and the following
point scale.

Category Points
Credentials and prior experience 10
Methodology 10
Team Structure 15
Price quotation 65
Total 100

Final Selection: The final selection shall be on the basis of the combined technical and
financial score attained by the bidder on the parameters indicated above.

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Annexure A

Pre FR of sites at A&N islands for the purpose of implementation of SPV based
power projects (5 MW + 1 MW)

Salient Features :-

Sl Parameters South Middle Remarks

Andaman Andaman

01 Name of Location Garacherama Rangat

village

02 Latitude 11.4 E 12.3 E

03 Longitude 92.44 N 92.55 N

04 Nearest town Portblair Rangat

05 Distance from 1 KM To be assessed Approx dist.

nearest town

06 Area available 20-22 Acres 4-5 Acres approximate

07 Land details Open, elliptical To be surveyed

08 Capacity proposed 5 MW 1 MW

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